A Galaxy Next Door

Michael has always been a flexible, diligent GM with a lot of compassion and ability to navigate player tension well and craft amazing stories with riveting narratives. Allows for truly player based roleplay and if youre having a hard day but still want to participate youre not shamed at all for it, he will help guide you to responses if needed! beyond that his flexibility allows player/character attitude to shine greatly. He's worth every penny and then some even if for a trial his games are so worth it!

After being a player in one of Mike's campaigns for years now, I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a DM for their table! Beyond being highly knowledgeable in all things TTRPG, he has a clear passion for character-driven storytelling and rich worldbuilding that make his games a delight to play in. He's always excited to work with you to bring your character's story to life. Furthermore, he's committed to making sure everyone at his table is not only having fun, but feeling safe and comfortable as well.

I have been part of Michael's ongoing homebrew world D&D campaign for years now and I am always amazed with the detail of his world as it is revealed to the characters. I am also very appreciative of the logic of his decision making when we are flying by the seat of our pants and the rules in the books don't quite cover the situation. He's never afraid for one of the players to ask: "can I do this?" For those who are LGBTQ, he does also create a safe space for you to play, and his focus is always on the players having a fun immersive experience. He is also very open and responsive to any concerns or feedback, he is a GM that enjoys being a GM but also enjoys his players having a great time! And he has a wonderful enthusiasm for learning new games and settings if he is not familiar with it. I highly recommend Michael as a GM.

Easy to work with. Open to player feedback. You got something you want to incorporate into your character? He'll help make it work with the parameters of the world you're in.

Michael actually taught me how to play tabletop games. I'd always been interested, but I had no idea where to start and my social anxiety kept me on the sidelines. When I told him some of my character ideas, I was pretty surprised by the genuine interest he took in translating those ideas into a character that fit the system, but still maintained the original flair I had described. He also presented me with an entire cast of backstory characters that completely fit the vibe I had described, and were so much fun to play with, I was almost sad when our session zero ended. His GM-style is what I'd describe as Firm-Creative. From my experience, he's firm when it comes to the rules of his world and anything he made clear from the outset. He knows the rules of any game he's running and has done the research. It has never come as a surprise when he stated a particular plan of action would not work, because I kind of already knew that, but it was worth a try to ask. He's also firm but kind when it comes to enforcing any rules or boundaries that players have put in place, and he's skilled at conflict resolution. On the Creative side, I have asked to do some wild things in game. Diegetic, perfectly in-character, wild things. Every time I have done this, I can hear the co-conspiratorial tone in his voice as he allows me to roll on it, and I can tell that he's having just as much fun. Even if what I'm doing seems like it's about to derail the story train, he finds a way to incorporate whatever madness we did to the world, and often says the story and the world are better for it. He really loves collaborative story-telling, and sees his players as just as important to writing that story as himself. If you choose to play with Michael, you will likely find him to be: a fun co-conspirator, a storyteller with a hearty enjoyment of his player's participation, a creator of well-made and complex npcs (and he'll love it if you love them or hate them), a skilled time-manager, a helpful resource, and a caring collaborator. I couldn't recommend Michael more; he really does love the worlds he creates, and the players who want to make messes in that world.

Mike has spoiled me. I wish I could have grown into a tabletop player with a crappy GM but, alas, I began with Michael- now, no other GM can compare. Truly, he's inventive, flexible, innovative, curious, enthusiastic, and absolutely down to educate himself on all the new content available. He's phenomenal and I have insanely high standards for how games can and should be run. 100/10. Would recommend heartily and thoroughly.